{"id":46025,"date":"2025-06-23T10:40:59","date_gmt":"2025-06-23T14:40:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/readingmiddlegrade.com\/?p=46025"},"modified":"2025-06-24T06:47:55","modified_gmt":"2025-06-24T10:47:55","slug":"books-like-refugee-alan-gratz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/readingmiddlegrade.com\/books-like-refugee-alan-gratz\/","title":{"rendered":"14 Books for Kids Who Love Refugee by Alan Gratz"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Alan Gratz writes moving adventure and survival stories with a historical background, presented in an accessible and compelling package for kids. It’s tough to find an author exactly like him, but I\u2019ve chosen other similarly gripping stories with similar themes and settings. You\u2019ll meet kids who have to leave their homes due to unrest, insecurity, and war, and travel with them as they try to build a new home in unfamiliar places. If your kids are looking for books like Refugee<\/a><\/em> by Alan Gratz, you can confidently recommend these books to them. <\/p>\n\n\n

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If you’re curious about the content of the books on my list, you can get access to my Content Notes Database<\/a>, where I share information about what to expect from all the books on my lists.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Join our Patreon community<\/a> to get the printable version of this li<\/b>st<\/strong>! You’ll also get access to other kid lit resources and perks, like our seasonal guides, book tasting menus, and book discussion guides, to inspire you. You can also\u00a0buy the standalone printable<\/a>\u00a0from our shop<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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14 Moving Books Like Refugee <\/em>by Alan Gratz<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Here are 14 great books for fans of Refugee<\/em> by Alan Gratz:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The Night Diary<\/h2><\/div>
By Veera Hiranandani 
Published: March 6, 2018<\/strong><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

This is a heartbreaking middle grade book about a girl\u2019s experience during the partition of India. Nisha is caught between her Hindu-Indian and Muslim-Indian sides. She\u2019s also dealing with the loss of her mother. So, when her country starts to split in two, her search for identity becomes even more meaningful. There\u2019s a reason why this one is a Newbery Honor book. Ages 10+<\/strong><\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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BUY ON AMAZON<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
BUY ON BOOKSHOP<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
BOOKS LIKE THE NIGHT DIARY<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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The Boy at the Back of the Class<\/h2><\/div>
By Onjali Q. Ra\u00faf
Published: August 6, 2019<\/strong><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

If you’re looking for a sweeter refugee story, this is a terrific option set in the UK. It’s all about a boy and his friends whose lives are forever changed when a Syrian refugee joins their classroom. They learn a lot about empathy, friendship, and standing up for what’s right as they grow closer to him and gain insight into his journey from Syria to their country. It’s fantastic on audio! Ages 9+<\/strong><\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Lost Year <\/h2><\/div>
By Katherine Marsh
Published: January 17, 2023<\/strong><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s 2020, and Matthew is sick of being inside with the pandemic raging outside. While reluctantly helping his great-grandmother sort through her belongings, he finds a picture of two girls. As she shares her experience during the Ukrainian famine, the story alternates between three narrators: Matthew, Helena, and Mila. A powerful, unforgettable account of historical events. Ages 11+<\/strong><\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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Refugee (The Graphic Novel) <\/h2><\/div>
By Alan Gratz (Author), Syd Fini (Illustrator)
Published: October 7, 2025<\/strong><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Whether your kids loved the original novel or couldn’t get through because they prefer graphic novels, the graphic adaptation of this award-winning novel is a must-read. It’s short, beautifully illustrated, and just as heartwrenching. I absolutely adored it and the way it stays faithful to the original while providing respite for kids who prefer a shorter page count! Ages 10+<\/strong><\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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The Blackbird Girls<\/h2><\/div>
By Anne Blankman
Published: January 19, 2021<\/strong><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Valentina and Oksana are classmates and neighbors living in Pryapta near Chernobyl, Ukraine, when the nuclear explosion occurs. Valentina is Jewish, and Oksana is Ukrainian. Oksana\u2019s father is abusive and dies in the explosion. Her mother isn\u2019t allowed to leave because of her high radiation exposure, so Oksana is forced to leave with Valentina and her mother. Valentina\u2019s mother decides that they will go to Leningrad to stay with her estranged mother. Unfortunately, at the station, they learn that only two tickets are available, and she sends the two young girls to live with her mother. The Blackbird Girls<\/em> is a riveting work of historical fiction that details the Chernobyl disaster and its aftermath in a gripping, accessible way for middle schoolers. Ages 10+<\/strong><\/p> <\/div>\n\n\n\n

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BUY ON AMAZON<\/a><\/div>\n\n\n\n
READ MY REVIEW<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n
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Teaching Refugee this year? Use my novel unit!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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REFUGEE Novel Unit<\/a><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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A comprehensive resource for teaching Alan Gratz’s award-winning novel, Refugee<\/em>. This novel unit features a 3-week lesson plan<\/strong> with chapter-by-chapter discussion questions, daily lesson slides, student resources, and weekly assessments<\/strong>. Teach vocabulary, point-of-view, literary devices, writing, character analysis, and so much more with this all-in-one plug-and-play resource<\/strong>. Available digitally and as a printable PDF, and includes a handy Student Notebook to keep all student activities in one place. Each purchase comes with complimentary one-month access to Reading Middle Grade’s Patreon community<\/a> on THE EDUCATOR tier. Our\u00a0<\/em>Refugee novel unit was created in line with Common Core standards by Afoma Umesi, founder of Reading Middle Grade, and Evelyn Khoo-Schwartz, a fifth-grade teacher-librarian in the US.<\/em> TRY THE FIRST LESSON FREE<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div><\/div>\n\n

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